Chain



(No Model.)

O. S. JUDD,

GHAIN.

Patented Nev. ZZ,1881..

Min mum NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER S. J UDD, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

CHAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 249,947, dated November 22,1881,

' Application filed September 30, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I,()LIVER S. JUDD, of New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chains, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in Chains in which figure-B-shaped links are formed of wire, with the ends of the wire lapping by each other at one end of the link and curving inward'toward the middle of said figure-S-shaped links; and the objects of my improvement are to produce a strong and neat wire chain which can be made at a moderate cost. I attain these objects by the simple construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a side viewof a portion of a chain, and Fig. 2 a perspective view of asingle link.

Patents which are prior in date to my invention show snap-hooks formed of a single piece of wire, with a single stranded loop or eye on one end and double hooks upon the opposite end, which hooks were designed to be sprung apart for snapping upon a ring or other object, and therefore it was essential that the ends of the hooks should stop short of the body of the wire from which they were formed, so as to allow the ring or other object to pass the point of the hooks. I make a chain the links of which are of a somewhat similar form, but differ therefrom in being permanently closed and of a form which is not adapted to be sprung open.

I intend to make the chain by a machine which will take wire in the coil and turn out the finished chain; but it may be made by means of any suitable tools or machines. The links A are made of wire, in the form of a figure 8. One-half of said figure consists of a single coil of wire, and the other half of a double coil, the latter being formed by books a a on the respective ends of the wire from which each link is formed, which hooks curve inward in opposite directions toward the middle of the figure- 8-shaped link and lap by each other while they lie side by side, as clearly shown by the perspective view, Fig. 2. It is of course necessary, in forming a chain of such links, that they shall be hooked one link or wire upon another before completely closing the links. After the chain is formed I prefer to finish with a coating of tin or zinc by dipping it in molten metal, which will further strengthen the chain; .but the chain may be used without such finish, if desired. The form of the links is such that the chain is of superior strength.

By making the ends of the hooks curve inward toward the middle portion of the figure 8that is, toward the point where the wire crosses at the middle of the link, and not merely curve toward the opposite end of the link, the ends of each book lie closely to and nearly meet the wire from which said hooks are formed, and thereby said ends are protccted by the body of the chain from being cahght and straightened out in use, and to this end it is not essential that the ends shall come in direct contact with the body of the books, but should be curved inward to a point beyond the greatest transverse swell of each link and point toward the middle portion of the figure 8.

I claim as my invention A chain in which the links arefor'ined into the shape of a figure 8, containing a single wire at one end ot'each figure 8 and a double wire at the other end, with the hooked ends of the wire curved inward toward the middle of the figure-8-sha-ped links, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

OLIVER S. JUDD.

Witnesses:

JAMES SHEPARD, CHAS. BLAKESLEE. 

